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Q: Have you ever had your feelings hurt by an animal?A: Yes I have. Not really by pets, but I show beef cattle in 4H and there have been a few times where I just wanted an animal to cooperate at a big show and then was hugely disappointed. Sometimes it could be blamed on the trainer (me) and not doing enough work with the animal, but sometimes the calf/cow just didn't want to work/behave and ended up ruining my day :-(

Changes at work, changes at home, changes with/about me. It's strange to be bouyant and happy about some things but dread and despair about others at the same time. The power of the human brain I guess, as well as its pitfalls. I wonder sometimes if it wouldn't be easier not to have gone to university and have the world knowledge that I do. How can I enjoy food when I know that millions of people are starving? How can I do my job and drive around when I know that my car's exhaust is contributing to global warming? Someday a doctor will develop a frontal lobe 'off' switch to control worrying. I don't see it coming soon though.

How can I enjoy food when I know that millions of people are starving? How can I do my job and drive around when I know that my car's exhaust is contributing to global warming?"Surely you're not saying / We have the resources / To save the poor from their lot? / There will be poor always / Pathetically struggling / Look at the good things you've got / Think while you still have me / Move while you still see me / You'll be lost / And you'll be sorry / When I'm gone" ~ Jesus, Jesus Christ Superstar

Now, obviously you shouldn't turn off your compassion, but it's not advisable to allow your sorrow for the world to overwhelm you. It's like when sick people fast for Yom Kippur...it doesn't count because it ceases to be a mitzvah (a good deed) because now they are doing harm to themselves. All you can do is take care of the troubles in front of you.

Enjoy food; it is there to be enjoyed. And volunteer at a soup kitchen, or donate to hunger charities. I'm fasting for Ramadan, but I have to miss a few days because of my period, and because I'm travelling (moving into a dorm). When you miss a fast day, you either make up for it later in the year, or you pay for someone else to eat. Why not look at your situation the same way, and buy a poor person a meal? (I'm planning on using my meal plan at school to do just that.) As for the car exhaust...why not plant trees? And walk more often? And turn off electrical appliances when you don't use them. And recycle more. And give up meat, since that industry contributes significantly to global warming. (Sorry. I like to preach veganism ^.^) Small things that add up.

We cannot escape making negative impacts on the world and on each other. That is just a fact of living in this particular dimension. The challenge is to accept that, and then go about making as many positive impacts as we can. Worry is wasted time. Worry is not a mitzvah. Enjoying the gift of life, and helping others do as much, is.

Wow. All great suggestions. I think that you and I see things in a similar light. The time it takes to worry about global issues in the world is time that could be spent taking a small step to better ourselves. Although I don't know if I'll take your advice of veganism since I grew up/live on a beef farm and have been involved in the industry, kudos to anyone who can live that lifestyle faithfully. Thanks for reading!